Archive for August, 2010

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him,

“Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.

“She rolled her eyes and said, “You must be an Obama Democrat.”

“I am,” replied the man. “How did you know?”

“Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help to me.”

The man smiled and responded, “You must be a Republican.”

“I am,” replied the balloonist. “How did you know?”

“Well,” said the man, “you don’t know where you are or where you are going. You’ve risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You’re in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it’s my fault.”

“When I start to view religious freedom through the prism of midterm elections, I’m just going to quit.” – An unidentified senior White House official.

The president didn’t send me over here to seek a graceful exit. My marching orders are to do all that is humanly possible to help us achieve our objectives.”- GEN. DAVID H. PETRAEUS, the commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

“It never once crossed my mind that I was in a sand trap. I just thought I was on a piece of dirt that the crowd had trampled down.” – Pro golfer Dustin Johnson explaining why he grounded his club before his second shot on the 18th hole that lead to a two-stroke penalty that may have cost him the PGA championship.

“It was a privilege to play major league baseball. I didn’t take it lightly, and had fun doing it, while providing for my family. I was very fortunate.” – Garrett Anderson after his recent release by the Dodgers

NEWS

Nate Silver says President Obama’s comments on the “Ground Zero” mosque are “less politically risky than it might at first appear”: “[P]ublic opinion … is divided into thirds. About a third of the country thinks that not only do the developers have a right to build the mosque, but that it’s a perfectly appropriate thing to do. Another third think that while the development is in poor taste, the developers nevertheless have a right to build it. And the final third think that not only is the development inappropriate, but the developers have no right to build it … While it is almost certainly riskier than his remaining mum on the issue, the assertion that the developers have a Constitutional right to proceed with the project is not particularly controversial.” http://bit.ly/bMMJtz

“GOP takes harsher stance toward Islam,” by Ben Smith and Maggie Haberman: “The harsh Republican response to President Barack Obama’s defense of a mosque near ground zero marks a dramatic shift in the party’s posture toward Islam – from a once active courtship of Muslim voters to a very public tolerance after Sept. 11 to an openly aired sense of mistrust. Republican leaders have largely abandoned former President George W. Bush’s post-Sept. 11 rhetorical embrace of American Muslims and his insistence – always controversial inside the party – that Islam is a religion of peace. … Obama’s remarks provide a clear, national focus for the simmering question of Islam in American life, and Republicans showed every sign … of beginning to capitalize on it, with Republican candidates in New York and Florida seeking to inject the issue into local races as Democrats largely held their silence. … [P]otential Republican presidential hopefuls, led by Sarah Palin, came out sharply against the mosque. … Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty … rebuffed pleas from local Muslim leaders to back off his suggestion that the mosque would ‘degrade and disrespect’ the Trade Center site. A spokesman for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney cited both ‘the wishes of the families of the deceased and the potential for extremists to use the mosque for global recruiting and propaganda’ in opposing it.” http://bit.ly/drAH4l

COMMENTATOR CROSSFIRE, by Tim Alberta:
Simon Schama in the Financial Times, “Obama’s brave remarks reveal a true patriot”: “Has Barack Obama just committed political suicide? By appearing to endorse the building of a mosque and Islamic cultural centre at the threshold of Ground Zero, has he set himself at odds with the majority of Americans who regard the idea as a desecration of ‘hallowed ground’? … If the quarrel over the mosque at Ground Zero turns into a debate on the sovereign principles of the American way of life, it is the president and Mayor Bloomberg who will emerge with honor, as the true custodians of what the founders had in mind. Freedom of conscience and religious practice, Mr Obama said at the Iftar dinner, and again in brief clarifying remarks, define ‘who we are’. And in reaffirming this bedrock principle, it is Mr Obama, not his enemies, who identifies himself as an authentic American patriot.” I couldn’t agree more unless I had written this myself! http://bit.ly/9a4Dji

Byron York in the Washington Examiner, “Obama’s Clintonian speech pulls rug from under mosque supporters”: “[T]here is simply no doubt that Obama’s Friday evening speech … was an endorsement of the Ground Zero project. It was certainly widely understood as such. … But on Saturday, Obama said all those listeners were wrong, that they misunderstood him. Several years ago, there was a word for Obama’s rhetorical technique: Clintonian. Like the former president, Obama spoke words he knew would be understood as having a particular meaning in a particular context. He also knew that those same words, when examined closely outside that context, might also be interpreted as having a different meaning. In that sense, the mosque affair is a good lesson for both supporters and opponents of the president. From now on, with Obama, as it was with Clinton, the rule is: Don’t listen to the speech. Read the words very carefully.” http://bit.ly/bCGg8f

From The Category of For Whatever It’s Worth: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabeeleads the 2012 field in a survey of Iowa caucus-goers conducted for the Iowa Republican website by GOP pollster Jan van Lohuizen.

Huckabee takes 22 percent to 18 percent for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. In a slight surprise, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich(Ga.) received 14 percent to take third while former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palinplaced fourth with 11 percent.

No other candidate scored in double digits. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a near-certain 2012 candidate, rated just one percent while Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who appears to be getting more and more serious about the race, didn’t even register a single percent. (For the Paulites out there, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who ran for president in 2008, placed fifth with 5 percent.)

Whitman’s latest investment brings her total for the campaign to $104 million, which places her among the top handful of self-funders all time, and still with two and half months left in the race.

She is a lock to exceed the current record for self-funding of $109 million by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) in his most recent re-election campaign, which, in a reminder that money doesn’t always guarantee success, he won very narrowly.

Whitman and state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) continue to run in a virtual dead heat, despite the fact that Whitman is spending unprecedented amounts of money and Brown’s campaign is, so far, reserving its cash.

Brown has raised $24 million and spent less than $1 million of it while Whitman spent more than $80 million in the first half of this year alone.

Patriotism isn’t blind allegiance to “my way or the highway” as many on the right would have us to believe.

The GOP is very publicly and unapologetically purging themselves of anyone who’s not white and Christian. Their vision of America doesn’t exist anymore – if it ever really did – and when they talk about “taking back ‘our’ country”, they are talking about returning to the 1950s. And if you don’t believe me, take a look at any monochromatic picture of one of their events or Sarah Palin’s recent “Mama Grizzlies” video on her Facebook page.

People parse both the Bible and the Constitution to suit their purposes. Jesus reached out to everyone, from the leper to the woman at the well and yet, many who call themselves Christians turn their backs to the poor, the oppressed, gays, etc. The right-wing of this nation want THEIR version of America – white and Christian – and in that sense, they are no less extreme than those in the Islamic faith that they speak against.

When I read that reality TV actress Tila Tequila complained that audience members pelted her with stones and feces during an outdoor music festival in southern Illinois, all I could think was, “What did stones and feces ever do to be treated in such a manner?”

What Tony Parker Comes Home To

Eva Longoria Parker

Dustin Johnson probably got more publicity for his mistake than he would have if he’d won the PGA Championship. Don’t believe me? Quick, who won the tournament? (No fair looking it up.)

The longer Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony declines to sign the team’s $65 million, three-year extension that’s been on the table all summer, the more it appears that new CBA or lockout or not, he’s likely to move to another team (Knicks) after this season.

Sudden thought: Where was the outrage from Barkley, Bird, Johnson and Jordan when Karl Malone and Gary Payton joined the Lakers for the 2003-04 season in a blatant attempt to win a ring?

It’s beginning to look more and more that the only So Cal team in the baseball playoffs this fall will be the San Diego Padres. And anyone who thinks that Joe Torre is coming back for more of the fiasco that the Dodgers franchise has quickly become since they mistakenly re-signed Manny Ramirez before the ’09 season, is just as delusional as Knicks owner Jim Dolan was when he thought bringing Isiah Thomas back to the team as a consultant was a good idea. (Knick fans, the media and most importantly, the NBA office convinced him that it wasn’t.)

How anyone gets excited about pre-season NFL football is a mystery to me. These “games” are about as realistic as Pam Anderson’s breasts.

“Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities — particularly New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of Lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.

As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.” – President Obama, weighing in on Friday for the first time on a controversy that has riveted New York City and the nation.

“Barack Obama has abandoned America at the place where America’s heart was broken nine years ago, and where her true values were on display for all to see. … Now this president declares that the victims of 9/11 and their families must bear another burden. … We are stunned … We will honor the memory of our loved ones. We will protect our children, whose lives will never be the same. We will not stand silent.” – Debra Burlingame, Co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America, in Response to President Obama’s Remarks about the Ground Zero Mosque.

“I applaud President Obama’s clarion defense of the freedom of religion.” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“My intention was to simply let people know what I thought. Which was that in this country, we treat everybody equally in accordance with the law. Regardless of race. Regardless of religion. I was not commenting on and will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding. That’s what our country’s about and I think it’s very important that as difficult as some of these issues are, we stay focused on who we are as a people and what our values are all about.” – President Obama speaking to CNN’s Ed Henry on Saturday in Florida.

“Neither my staff nor I engaged in any improper behavior, and we did not influence anyone, and we did not gain any benefit.” – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) on charges that she had used her influence to aid a bank in which her husband has a financial interest.

“I’ve got to pass Wilt Chamberlain in scoring. I would like to win at least one more championship.” – Boston Celtics center Shaquille O’Neal when asked by a reporter why he doesn’t retire from the NBA with four championships.

Reacting to President Obama’s forceful defense of Muslims’ rights to build a new Islamic community center near Ground Zero, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) — who believes there are “too many mosques in this country” — said, “It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero.” King’s statement underscores one of the least understood facts of the new project: there is already a mosque near Ground Zero.

Today, the New York Times reports on Masjid Manhattan (located four blocks from Ground Zero) and Masjid al-Farah (located 12 blocks from Ground Zero):

But what the two mosques have in common — besides the sense of celebration and camaraderie that comes at the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, in which Muslims fast from sunup to sundown, give alms and focus on self-improvement — is that both have existed for decades, largely unnoticed, blocks from the World Trade Center site.

The Times goes on to note, “Both mosques — essentially one-room operations — routinely turn people away for lack of space.” And thus, the need for a new, larger location.

Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen share a laugh at the roundtable reunion Friday during the Hall of Fame weekend. What many people don’t know is that Larry Bird was one of the all-time trash talkers of his era.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

If I read or hear the words “teachable moment” again, I’ll scream! And that goes for “playing the race card” too.

It’s real easy for those on the far left to criticize President Obama for not doing enough (in their opinion) because, except for a few instances, none of them either hold or are running for an elective office. Anyone can say what “I would do” when there’s no chance of them ever having to back those words up with real action.

Many Republicans never accepted Bill Clinton as president so why are we surprised that they don’t accept Barack Obama as CINC?

The GOP’s strategy for taking back Congress should be called “The Fear Factor” because they seem determined in trying to scare Americans into voting for them come November.

Are Katie Couric (CBS), Diane Sawyer (ABC) and Brian Williams (NBC) the last of the big-time broadcast evening news anchors?

Why does LOTTERY TICKET seem like a hodge-podge of a bunch of movies – Friday, All About The Benjamins, The Cookout, etc – that we’ve already seen?

While it’s not Omar Minaya’s fault that Francisco Rodriguez beat up his common-law wife’s father (allegedly), it is his fault that since he became the Mets’ general manager in 2005, the team has been a failure on the field – making the playoffs just once – and I wonder how much longer the team’s owners will keep him in that position.

Well, it sure didn’t take long for “Stephen Strasburg Fever” to die down.

Guys like Francisco Rodriguez need somebody to whip their ass just once.

For those of you out there who keep saying/writing disparaging remarks about LeBron “King” James: he announced last week that he’s keeping “mental notes” on each and every one of you.

Speaking of “mental notes”, raise your hand if you think a guy by the name of Kobe Bean Bryant is doing the same thing out in Newport Beach, CA every morning when he sweats his way through another workout – “Let’s see, who else picked the Heat to win the title this season? Put that name on the list too.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I think both the NY Jets and the Miami Heat are doing an awful lot of talking for two teams that haven’t won anything recently. I mean, it’s been FORTY YEARS since the J.E.T.S ‘s only Super Bowl appearance and unless I missed it during summer league, the newly constructed Heat haven’t played even one game together yet.

If you had any doubts about one of the reasons why Chris Bosh left Toronto for the Heat, think about this: without playing a single game for the Heat, he’s already been on more national television talk shows this summer than in all his previous years in the NBA.

How long does Tiger Woods remain a “story” without winning?

THE DR LAURA “N-WORD” CONTROVERSY

As long as we continue using this word in comedy routines, hip-hop songs and casual conversations that others can hear, there will be people who think that they too, can use this word. I’ve been around a lot of Jewish people during my years in the entertainment industry and not once have I ever heard them use the word “Kike” in any form or fashion. I know this might not be a popular thing to say but, sometimes we are our own worst enemy.

“These rolling elections have yielded results that should give the GOP reason to pause. A majority is not guaranteed.” – Joe Scarbourgh on MSNBC Wednesday morning.

“I have said pretty consistently that these endorsements are fairly meaningless. They were meaningless when Palin was on a hot streak, and they are meaningless when she is on her losing streak.” – Republican strategist John Feehery.

“I have said from the beginning, I would spend what it would take for the people of Connecticut to know who I am and what I stand for.” GOP nominee Linda McMahon told GMA’s George Stephanopoulos after her primary win on Tuesday for the US Senate.

“I’d say about 16. I lost my virginity and the whole sexual world sparked my interest. I think it was just wanting to explore sexuality. I know it’s such a big world I was just like, wow, well since I like sex. . .I wanted to see everything that I would like, every kind of fantasy I would like and porn is a way that I could explore that. I had a little passion inside me to do porn… I didn’t really want to tell too many people about it because I was afraid of their reactions when I was younger. I started thinking about it…when I was 16.” I wasn’t really into mainstream acting…I knew I wanted to do adult [films].” – Fledging porn actress Montana Fishburne talking to US Magazine about why she’s doing porn videos.

“I think Shaq’s a guy who can still make a difference. When he was in his prime, he was considered one of the best who has ever played. Shaq coming to our team right now, our expectations won’t be that. We expect him to contribute to our team and play a role off our bench.” – Celtics GM Danny Ainge talking to reporters in a conference call after the Tuesday news conference introducing Shaquille O’Neal to the Boston media.

DEMS ARE LOVING LINDA McMAHON, GOP Senate nominee in Connecticut — DNC National Press Secretary Hari Sevugan: “Today the party of Bob Dole, Jack Kemp and Dick Lugar nominated a candidate who kicks men in the crotch, thinks of scenes of necrophilia as ‘entertainment,’ and runs an operation where women are forced to bark like dogs. This is what has become of the once grand old party.” YouTubes:
–Linda McMahon’s crotch kick (at 2:30) http://bit.ly/8ZE4TS
–Wrestler Triple H on mock corpse sex http://bit.ly/aq1DFD
–Hubby Vince McMahon humiliates woman as crowd cheers http://bit.ly/bMa1ue

DESIRÉE ROGERS NAMED CEO OF EBONY AND JET, allowing her to stay in Chicago — From release, which doesn’t mention she was White House social secretary for the first 13 months of the Obama administration: “Linda Johnson Rice, chairman and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. (JPC), announced today that Desirée Rogers has been named chief executive officer of JPC. … Rogers is expert in repositioning brands, utilizing their core essence to engage customers and extending them into the communities they serve. … The New Orleans native received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Wellesley College and earned a master of business administration degree from Harvard University’s Business School. … Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. (JPC) is the world’s largest African-American owned-and-operated publishing company.” http://bit.ly/97Kinn

L.A. TV NEWS LEGEND RETIRES — On his 87th birthday, Stan Chambers, who has worked at KTLA Channel 5 since 1947, announces he’ll spend more time with his wife, his 11 children and golf: “[H]e has covered more than 20,000 stories, including … the … Watts riots of 1965 and the 1968 assassination of … Robert F. Kennedy … His coverage of 3-year-old Kathy Fiscus, who fell in an abandoned well in San Marino [in 1949] and died, is recognized as the first live coverage of a breaking news story.” http://bit.ly/cwfkI8

I try not to use the word “stupid” very often. It’s cruel, for one thing, and usually unfair. For example: this week, the Mariners fired Don Wakamatsu, the first Japanese-American manager in baseball history, on Japanese Heritage Night at their ballpark. That seems stupid (and also utterly hilarious) but really, it was probably just bad communication, unfortunate timing, the baseball side not realizing what the business side was doing until it was too late. We all make mistakes.

But hiring Isiah Thomas, Florida International head coach, as a consultant … THAT is stupid. Knicks owner Jim Dolan might as well put up a big billboard across from that infamous Jay-Z/Mikhail Prokhorov New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets billboard that says:

Don’t think for one single, solitary minute that WH press secretary Robert Gibbs was speaking just for himself or out of turn when he went after the “professional left” the other day or a few weeks ago when he said that there was a very good chance of Democrats losing the House and Senate this fall. Gibbs has been with Barack Obama since 2004 and is much closer to the president than the average press secretary. When Gibbs says something “outrageous” or controversial, he’s just being the messenger for things the president himself can’t say in public. But make no doubt about this: when you hear Robert Gibbs, you’re hearing Barack Obama and the targets of his words know it too.

If you were to take a look at pictures from 1994 when the GOP promoted their Contract With America which led to their historic takeover of Congress that fall and compare them to those of today’s Republican leaders in Congress, there’s one constant: a total lack of people of color in the photographs.

So far, the biggest winners from Dancing With The Stars have been Mario Lopez – host of the syndicated show Extra – and Samantha Harris – she replaced 1st season co-host Lisa Canning and has since moved on to a prominent role on Entertainment Tonight.

I know it’s a radical and frankly, probably illegal idea but, I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that there’s not a judge or jury in America who wouldn’t understand and side with Montana Fishburne’s parents if they decided to have her “put down.”

More Montana Fishburne: What if her parents did everything “right” and it turns out that she was just determined to become a porn actress?

Jets head coach Rex Ryan is making a HUGE mistake inserting himself into the Darrelle Revis contract situation so publicly – at a press conference, Jets Coach Rex Ryan proposed a meeting to settle Darrelle Revis’s contract holdout with the owner and entire team in attendance – because coaches should coach and let the front office handle contract matters and I’m surprised that the Jets owner and GM haven’t told Ryan to “shut up and coach.”

I hope Trevor Ariza didn’t buy an expensive house in Houston last year.

“The 14th Amendment is a great legacy of the Republican party. It is a shame and an embarrassment that the GOP now wants to amend it for starkly political reasons,” McKinnon. Initially Republicans rallied around the amendment to welcome more citizens to this country. Now it is being used to drive people away.” – Mark McKinnon, media adviser to Bush’s two presidential campaigns, who attacked Republicans for forfeiting their allegiance to the legislative milestone.

“I figured out early in the race I was taking a risk by being unwilling to call the President a socialist. I’d get asked a question and they’d all wait to see if I’d use the word – socialist – they were throwing around. I wouldn’t. Because I don’t think that’s what he is. To call him a socialist is to demean the office and stir up a passion that we need to be calming, rather than constantly stirring up…I think that to some extent, we’re getting what we deserve. We have basically decided to stir up a base and that’s a bad decision for the country. Because the country needs people here serving in Washington to say, ‘listen let’s lead and let’s help people understand.’” – Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) saying he knows firsthand the risky business of refusing to call President Obama a “socialist” from his primary election defeat earlier this summer. Bipartisanship is overrated, Sen. Dodd insists. Bipartisanship is overrated, Sen. Dodd insists.

“Mitch McConnell is very smart politically, referring to the Senate Republican leader, “but we’re giving him credit for what he didn’t achieve. . . . In the midst of it all, there have been some remarkable successes. . . . We’re arguing against ourselves when we say we can’t get anything done.” – Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) talking about the Senate to E. J. Dionne of the Washington Post.

“I hate mornings, I really hate ’em, with every fiber of my being.”…But, I love the people who build this show.” – Bill Weir saying goodbye to “Good Morning America” Sunday, after spending almost six years co-hosting the weekend edition of the ABC morning show. Weir is replacing Martin Bashir on “Nightline.”

“Obviously Babe Ruth means a lot to baseball, especially to this organization, so anytime you get a chance to pass him in anything it’s special,” said Jeter, who only found out about the pending milestone a couple of days ago. “It’s not like it was a goal of mine because I was unaware of it but it feels good once you accomplish it.” – Yankees shortstop and captain Derek Jeter after passing Babe Ruth on the career hits list. Jeter, who became the team’s all-time hits leader last season, now has 2,874 hits and is poised to become the first Yankee in team history to reach the 3,000 hit plateau sometime next season.

“Oh, he’ll be all right. “ – Jeter to the horrified Lance Berkman after the newest Yankee hit a line drive during batting practice on Saturday that struck shortstop Alex Rodriguez in his left leg, causing him to miss one game. A New York Times reporter wrote that Jeter and teammate Jorge Posada had a good laugh at A-Rod’s rolling around on the ground after being struck.

“Tweeting and blogging. Five years ago that would have sounded dirty.” – Kent Somers, Cardinals beat man for the Arizona Republic, asked by his wife one night last week what he was doing at Cards training camp in Flagstaff, Ariz.

“Shooting 18-over par is not fun. I don’t see how it can be fun shooting 18 over.” Golfer Tiger Woods responding to a reporter’s question Sunday after the worst finish of his professional career.

THREE SKANKS, TWO FUTURE SKANKS AND A LOST SOUL

“Psst. Who’s the tall N-word standing next to Khloe?”

RANDOM THOUGHTS

As the people of Haiti contemplate the possibility of a Wyclef Jean presidency, they should check with the people of Detroit and ask them how they feel about their former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who dubbed himself the nation’s first “Hip-Hop mayor”.

Speaking of Gingrich makes me think of Mississippi’s governor Haley “Boss Hogg Jr” Barbour who’s also reportedly considering a run for the presidency next year. In fact, if one believes MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough – “He’s calling. I mean, he’s making the calls to the BIG Republican power players, and he’s going. He’s telling politicians he’s going. Haley thinks it’s his year.” – there’s a very good chance that two fat, drawling, white southerners with bad haircuts think they can beat President Obama in 2012.

After seeing Denver Broncos rookie Tim Tebow’s “Friar Tuck” haircut that was given to him and other rookies as part of their “hazing” by team veterans, I have even more respect for Cowboys rookie Dez Bryant’s recent refusal to play along with Roy Williams’ demand that Bryant carry his pads after practice.

Say what you will about Kobe Bryant, unlike Tiger Woods who hasn’t looked like himself on the golf course since his now-infamous early morning car crash last November, Bryant’s game never skipped a beat during his Colorado legal ordeal. And what makes that so impressive is that on several occasions, Bryant appeared in a Colorado courtroom during the day and then flew back to play that same night. AND, Bryant was facing the very real possibility of prison time too.

What’s with Shaq’s new “FOI” look these days? Did I miss an announcement? Must say that it’s a much better look for him than some of the others he’s had over the years, particularly those derby hats that are too damn small for his head.

Thanks to my brother Nathan, I went to my first game at Dodger Stadium in over two years last Thursday night. Our family moved to San Diego before the Padres became a major league team so I grew up listening to Vin Scully on KFI and that’s why I remain a Dodger fan today. On the other hand, the Padres joined the National League when my brother was just starting to get into sports and even though he’s lived here in LA for close to 30 years, he still roots for the Padres. For several reasons, I hadn’t been to a game at the stadium since Opening Day 2008 and had recently vowed to never buy another ticket to a game as long as anyone named McCourt still had anything to do with the team. Because it was my brother’s treat, I decided that allowed me to set foot into the stadium again.

The seats were great! We sat on the Field Level about ten rows behind the Dodgers Dugout which meant that we had to be alert for foul balls throughout the game. I kept score for the first 4 innings but, abandoned that endeavor so I could enjoy the game more.

I was pleasantly surprised at the changes on the Field Level – Base Line Box Seats and Club, remodeled concession stands (I brought chicken wings, deviled eggs, peanuts, Diet Coke and water from home) and best of all, completely redone bathrooms – since my last visit. Unfortunately, it’s still an old stadium and for someone like me who’s had both hips replaced since May ’08 and now has a disk problem in my back, it’s a bit tough getting around. Sad to say, but I’ve become one of those people I used to laugh at for bringing a seat cushion.

Anyway, despite the outcome, it was an enjoyable evening at the ballpark with my brother. We had a running conversation with some 20 year olds in the row right in front of us and it was great hearing their youthful perspectives and giving them some of our historical viewpoints on baseball in general.

Next Road Trip: I’ll be going out to the newly remodeled Santa Monica Place shopping area on Saturday and reporting on the changes. I promise you lots and lots of pictures if the weather is good.

“Well, would you like your right to free speech? Would you like Fox’s right to free press put up to a vote and say well, if five states approved it, let’s wait till the other 45 states do? These are fundament constitutional rights. The Bill of Rights guarantees Fox News and you, Chris Wallace, the right to speak. It’s in the constitution. And the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the denial of our citizens of the equal rights to equal access to justice under the law, is a violation of our fundamental rights. Yes, it’s encouraging that many states are moving towards equality on the basis of sexual orientation, and I’m very, very pleased about that. … We can’t wait for the voters to decide that that immeasurable harm, that is unconstitutional, must be eliminated.” – Ted Olsen, the conservative lawyer who represented President Bush in Bush v. Gore, when FOX News Sunday host Chris Wallace asked Olson to identify the right to same-sex marriage in the constitution and wondered why “seven million Californians” “don’t get to say that marriage is between a man and a woman.” To watch the entire conversation, click on: Wonk Room » Ted Olson On FNS: ‘Would You Like Fox’s Right To Free Press Put Up To A Vote?’

“I have not violated any House rules. Therefore, I simply will not be forced to admit to something that I did not do, and instead have chosen to respond to charges made by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in a public hearing.” – Congresswoman Maxine Waters on the ethics charges that she intervened with federal regulators on behalf of a bank in which she and her husband had substantial investments, and where her husband once served on the board of directors.

From Poltico Playbook: COMING ATTRACTIONS – A Democratic official: “Mike Pence (R-IN) is hosting a job fair on August 10th. Going through the first 16 employers listed as participants, we found that 9 of them are recipients of Recovery Act support. As you know, Pence is appearing on ‘Meet the Press’ and my money is on him calling the Recovery Act a failure. If the Recovery Act was such a failure, Pence should have to disinvite these employers. Look for Dems to have some fun with this!” Employers Attending 2010 Job Fair

RANDOM THOUGHTS

The unifying GOP theme is a total lack of faith in and respect for President Obama and they’re not even trying to disguise it as policy differences anymore. They don’t like him or the fact that he’s the president. It’s really just that simple.

I’m against extremists, whether they be on the left or the right.

I’m still chuckling at former senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania for saying recently that he’s “mulling over a run for the presidency.” Yeah, and I’m mulling a run for Grand Dragon of the Klu Klux Klan and I bet I’ve got a better chance of winning that than old Ricky does of being the GOP’s nominee in 2012. Or ever.

I’ll bet anything I don’t own that Democrats are grateful that the midterm elections are this fall and weren’t last year after the anger-filled scream fests that doubled as “town hall meetings”.

Is there a chance that the whole so-called Tea Party “movement” isn’t as big as some in the media would like us to believe and that it’s already on the wane?

I know that same-sex marriage isn’t a popular subject in the African-American community particularly among older people and those who attend church on a regular basis. And while I disagree with them, I understand and respect their position. But, in my opinion, Ted Olsen presents THE case for same sex marriage in that it’s a Civil Rights issue and many African-Americans need to accept that Civil Rights go far beyond the color of one’s skin and ethnicity. As for the argument that allowing gays and lesbians to marry will destroy the institution of marriage, I say that it’s heterosexuals like Liz Taylor and Larry King who have a total of FIFTEEN marriages between them who have done that over the years along with a divorce rate of over 50%.

I’ve heard some chilling 911 calls on the news over the years but the matter-of-fact tone in the voice of Omar Thorton as he reported that he’d shot and killed 8 people at a Connecticut beer distributorship and why he did what he did, scared the hell out of me.

Some people that I trust 1000% have told me that the troubling disclosures about city officials outlandish paychecks in Bell, CA are just the beginning and that the City of Compton will be next not because of outrageous salaries and benefit packages but illegal contracts and deals. Supposedly, complaints have been filed with both state and federal authorities, demanding investigations.

If there’s a creepier TV ad than the one where the two little girls give their father a box of Just For Men hair coloring (I’m still wondering where they got the money for it but I digress) so he can start dating again – is he divorced, a widower? – I don’t want to see it. And I haven’t even mentioned that when he sends a picture of his date to their cell phone, the girls high-five like they’re happy that good old dad might “get some” that night. Oh, did I point out that it looks like these two girls, 13 and under, appear to be at home by themselves while Daddy’s out on the prowl?

I wonder how long it will take for Rosie O’Donnell to say or do something that brings shame to the Oprah Winfrey Network where she’ll have a new talk show next spring.

It might not be their best song but September is definitely Earth, Wind & Fire’s best sounding one.

While watching the Red Sox/Yankees game Saturday, I saw something I’d never seen in my 45+ years of watching major league baseball: Yankees pitcher Andy Pettite – currently on the disabled list – was shown in the dugout with his sunglass perched above the bill of his cap (the usual spot for many players) while wearing a second pair! After I recovered from the shock of what I’d seen, I had to admit that was some straight-up SWAGGER-LICIOUS sh*t on Pettite’s part. Play on playa.

Derek Jeter is looking every bit of 35 in his face and on is head these days.

Try as I might, I can’t imagine the New York Yankees holding monthly Flea Markets at Yankee Stadium as the Dodgers are now doing.

Reports have Shaquille O’Neal looking for a new nickname now that’s he’s signed with the Boston Celtics. How about “The Big Diminished”?

Now that he’s been cut by the Timberwolves after being traded from the Cavaliers a few weeks ago, Delonte West aka “The Human Tattoo”, just might need Gloria James’ loving more than ever before. Allegedly of course.

All joking aside, exactly what does Isiah Thomas have on James Dolan and the Knicks?

Laker fans everywhere should thank their lucky stars or whichever deity they pray to that Jerry Buss never remarried and that his kids, particularly Jeannie and Jim, know what the hell they’re doing because Jamie and Frank McCourt’s divorce case could negatively affect the Dodgers far beyond the current season.

Why I Can’t Take The WNBA Seriously – Before Friday’s game, the LA Sparks had a season record of 9-17 and with eight games left in the season, were a half game out of a playoff spot.

More Tiger: we won’t know for certain for a few more years, but it’s looking more and more that Tiger Woods had the most expensive one-vehicle accident in history.

I don’t care what the folks at NBC News/Sports are saying but there’s no way on God’s green earth that they were going to go through this election cycle with the always controversial Keith Olberman on “Sunday Night Football In America”.Montana Fishburne: Up, Close & Extremely Personal – Entertainment Newswire | Black VoicesMontana Fishburne: Up, Close & Extremely Personal – Entertainment Newswire | Black Voices

What if, as Melvin Udall said, (and I’m paraphrasing just a bit here), “This is as good as it gets”?

–Charles Krauthammer in the WaPo, “Annals of executive overreach”: “Everyone wants energy in the executive (as Alexander Hamilton called it). But not lawlessness. In the modern welfare state, government has the power to regulate your life. That’s bad enough. But at least there is one restraint on this bloated power: the separation of powers. Such constraints on your life must first be approved by both houses of Congress. That’s called the consent of the governed. The constitutional order is meant to subject you to the will of the people’s representatives, not to the whim of a chief executive or the imagination of a loophole-seeking bureaucrat.” http://bit.ly/axgVTM

–Paul Krugman in the NYT, “The Flimflam Man”: “[Wisconsin Rep. Paul] Ryan has become the Republican Party’s poster child for new ideas thanks to his ‘Roadmap for America’s Future,’ a plan for a major overhaul of federal spending and taxes. News media coverage has been overwhelmingly favorable; on Monday, The Washington Post put a glowing profile of Mr. Ryan on its front page, portraying him as the G.O.P.’s fiscal conscience. He’s often described with phrases like ‘intellectually audacious.’ But it’s the audacity of dopes. Mr. Ryan isn’t offering fresh food for thought; he’s serving up leftovers from the 1990s, drenched in flimflam sauce.” http://nyti.ms/bPJ0OK

“How the f**k do you think I feel about my daughter doing a porn video? How the f**k would you feel if it were your daughter doing the same thing?”

“Haven’t you people figured out by now that you’ll have to kill me to get rid of me?”

“That’s an excellent question Jamal and I’ll give you an equally excellent answer based on my extensive NBA experience. Over the years, I found that the easiest way to keep my wife from discovering my side chicks’ cell phone numbers was to have a second cell phone that one of my ‘boys’ always answered. Just like Don Corleone, I never spoke to any skeezer over the phone or in front of any witnesses. I’ll now take questions on rolling Cee-Lo in the backroom of your buddy’s bodega and not paying taxes on your winnings and kissing another player on the cheek on national television.”

From 1998:

Reporter: “Mark, Sammy, can either one or both you look into the cameras and say with a straight face that you never used steroids or any other performance enhancing drugs?”

“I could have just stuck to internet porn and my right hand. But nooooooo. I had to have the real thing. Oy vey!”

BUMPER STICKER LEAST LIKELY TO BE SEEN ON LAURENCE FISHBURNE’S CAR: “Proud Father of Vivid Adult Entertainment’s Newcomer of the Month”

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Do you have any idea how strong Michelle and Barack Obama’s marriage is for her to travel to Spain with Sasha (Malia’s at camp) and be away on his birthday? Think Hillary ever did (or does) did that with Billy Boy?

I want the same right-wingers and other Obama bashers who are criticizing First Lady Michelle Obama’s current vacation in Spain to do the same about NYPD officials deciding to not press shoplifting charges against Rudy Guiliani’s daughter Caroline despite security camera footage of the 20 year old stuffing over $100 worth of cosmetics into her purse and walking out of a Sephora store in NYC on Wednesday.

Something tells me that we won’t be seeing California’s outgoing governor Arnold “ESL” Schwarzenegger out on the campaign trail with Meg Whitman or Carly Fiorina since his approval ratings rival those of George W. Bush’s final months in office.

I have ab-so-f-ing-lutely no idea what platform he’s running on, his plans for rebuilding his native Haiti or if he plans on showing them the music video for his one real solo hit, 1997’s We Trying To Stay Alive, but the news that Wyclef Jean and (his wife) are facing IRS liens in excess of $2 million, tells me that he’s the perfect president for this perpetually corrupt Caribbean country.

WTF? America has a HUGE problem with obesity and childhood diabetes – particularly among minorities – and the latest Wal-Mart television commercial has the spokesperson, a black man, bragging about taking home ice cream for his kids. Why not some fruit or veggies?

Every time I see the Cash Call Loan ad where the guy says, “Yes, it’s kind of expensive, but there’s no collateral and it’s cheaper than a ‘Payday Loan’”, I can’t help but think, “Good Lord, how much does a Payday Loan really cost?”

Wouldn’t it be great to be watching the Monique talk show and see this promo: “Coming to BET this fall; The Real Housewives of Compton”?

Idea for the title of a new movie starring Miley Cyrus, Lindsey Lohan and Montana Fishburne: “Ho, Ho, Ho”.

I was at the Padres/Dodgers game with my brother Thursday night and I couldn’t help but notice how small, sad and diminished embattled Dodger owner (and future ex-owner if God answers my prayers) Frank McCourt appeared in person. That and the fact that so many people simply couldn’t stop talking and texting on their cell phones.

I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that I’m not the only NBA fan who got “Ron Artest Happy” when the league announced that the Lakers will play the Heat at Staples Center on Christmas Day afternoon.

The Knicks hiring Isiah Thomas to consult on “assist the team’s senior management in various capacities, including player recruitment” makes as much sense as hiring Liz Taylor to be your marriage counselor.

Good grief. The Clippers can’t even fire a GM (and ex-head coach) without controversy.

Forget about his equaling or breaking Jack Nicklaus’ major tournament wins record – Nicklaus has 18 to his 14 – the more relevant question these days is if Tiger Woods will ever win any kind of tournament again.

“I can’t do it. The Secret Service doesn’t allow it. …I miss nothing more than just driving right along Lake Shore Drive. I would love to hop in a convertible right now on a nice day like today and drive all the way up along the lake. But I can’t do it. So my driving is either at the Secret Service testing site, the training site there where you can do some J-turns and do some pretty spiffy moves, or the golf cart. Those are the two opportunities I get to drive, and I miss it tremendously.” – President Barack Obama responding to CNBC car guy Phil Lebow on the floor of a Ford plant in Chicago, when Lebow asked the president the last time he drove a car.

[Republicans are now] “a legion of effective shock troops who are on the offense and making Democrats sweat.” – RNC chairman Michael Steele telling members of the Republican National Committee Friday that the GOP can’t rest between now and November even though conditions seem ripe for big gains.

[Republicans are] “fighting against the economic recovery every step of the way. The 71,000 private-sector jobs added to the economy in July is a “sharp turnaround from the 700,000 jobs per month lost under President Bush.” – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday after worse-than-expected job numbers were released.

“It’s another example of how we strengthened the ethics process. The reason people are hearing the case of Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) is because we put in place accountability measures to make sure we have high standards and that people are held accountable to those standards.” – DCCC Chairman Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on ethics violations.

“When I look at the past 200 years with what our people have suffered, Wolf — political instability, coups after coup d’états. I feel that me running, it bring as neutral situation — meaning that Wyclef Jean can sit with any political party, have a conversation. I’m coming in neutral. After Jan. 12th, I would say over 50 percent of the population is a youth population. And we suffered for over 200 years. Now that our country has a problem, it’s a chance to rebuild from the bottom on up. And I don’t even say I’m trying to be president. I’m being drafted by the youth of Haiti. Right now is a chance for to us bring real education into the school, infrastructure, security and proper jobs. So this is some of the reasons that I’m running.” – Musician Wyclef Jean responding to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Thursday’s “Larry King Live” when Blitzer asked him what made him qualified to be Haiti’s president.

“As far as the media’s concerned, Mrs. Obama deserves this. Look at the sordid past. Look at our slave past, look at the discriminatory past. It’s only fair that people of color get their taste of the wealth of America too.” – Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh discussing the lack of media outrage over the First Lady’s trip to Spain — which isn’t exactly true, as documented here — Limbaugh said that it stems from her race.

“Isiah Thomas brings unique experience as a Hall of Fame player, coach, executive and owner, and we believe having him as part of our organization will be extremely beneficial to the team’s success,” Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan and team president Donnie Walsh announced jointly in a statement on Friday following news that Thomas would rejoin the franchise that he practically ran into the ground (ok, my words) from December 2003-April 2008, with the Knicks never winning a postseason game despite often having the league’s highest payroll. He was also the coach the final two seasons, getting dismissed after a 23-59 season in 2007-08.

“What I hope we are going to have after November is more balance, more balance, which would give us the opportunity to do things together that simply were missing when you have this kind of disparity. But, I’m not going to be very interested in doing things left of center. It is going to have to be center right. I think the president is a flexible man. I’m hoping he will become a born-again moderate.” – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky who made it very clear that any future bipartisanship needs to be defined by his ideological terms in a speech Thursday to before a group of reporters at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast.

“I am not in porn to get into acting. I am in porn because I wanted to be in porn.” – Montana Fishburne, 19 year-old daughter of acclaimed actor Laurence Fishburne explaining her reason for starring in a porn video for Vivid Adult entertainment. I’m glad she cleared that up!

“These people do not oppose Barack Obama because of his skin color. They oppose him because of his policies. “ – Lloyd Marcus, a spokesman for Black members of the tea party movement who on Wednesday rejected charges that the group’s activists are racist, saying they oppose President Barack Obama because of his policies not his skin color. Would it surprise you if I told you noted lunatic Alan Keyes is behind this?

“[My dad] is very upset. I heard that he’s mad at me but I haven’t spoken to him yet. I feel pretty confident that I can work things out with him. I think he wants to support me in everything I do, and though he sees this now as a negative, I believe in time he will view it as a positive.” – Montana Fishburne on her father, actor Laurence, and his reaction to her decision to star in a porn video in an attempt to start her acting career. I believe in time that he will find a way to have you committed, but that’s just me.

“You’ll never see this from (Tom) Brady.You’ll never see this from Peyton Manning. The guys who really have class. Quite frankly, I just think the guy loves attention” – Former NFL player and current NBC studio analyst Rodney Harrison on Brett Favre’s back and forth about whether he’ll play in 2010.

In an interview with C-SPAN on Sunday, July 18 of this year, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), the chairman of the party’s National Senatorial Committee, spoke of people’s nostalgia for the days of the Bush Administration. “I think a lot of people are looking back with a little — with more fondness on President Bush’s administration, and I think history will treat him well.” And when C-SPAN’s host asked what impact President Bush’s book being released around the midterm elections will have for the Republicans and if it “will be a plus.” Cornyn responded that he had not read it, but predicted it would be “intriguing” and “candid.” BUT, in an item on Huffington Post on Thursday of this week, it was reported that George W. Bush pushed back publication of his memoirs, “Decision Points,” out of fear that a public reminder of his presidential legacy would hurt Republicans heading into November’s midterm elections, Bush’s friends tell the Financial Times. His friends say that Mr Bush, whose two terms in office remain unpopular among most Americans, did not want to insert himself into the midterm election campaign, where Republicans are expected to make big gains. The book will be published on November 9, a week after the polls. Mr Bush will give his first full interview to NBC on November 8.

Despite noted author Anne Rice’s recent defection from Christianity, the organization seems to be taking her withdrawal from the faith in stride. John T. Baptist, a senior spokesperson for President & CEO Jesus H. Christ said, “Yes, we heard something about Ms Rice’s recent decision to leave us and frankly, we haven’t decided on whether it’s an idle threat that we will ignore or an offer that we’ll most likely accept.” When pressed for a timetable for a decision, Mr Baptist said that he’s certain that one will be forthcoming “some time before the Rapture. Or not.”

Kevin Jackson, president of the Black Conservative Coalition who said tea party activists, if successful, would reduce the size of government and set in motion another Emancipation Proclamation, the document that President Abraham Lincoln signed that effectively ended slavery. “This time, even the white folks get freed,” said Jackson, who accused Obama of viewing fellow blacks as “mongrels.”

RANDOM THOUGHTS

The more stupid things that Republicans say and do, the more I believe that the upcoming midterm election results aren’t going to be nearly as bad for Democrats as thought just six weeks ago. This week alone, they’ve tried to paint the president as less than manly (Sarah Palin), released a series of “birthday cards” mocking his 49th birthday (the RNC), said there was no real proof that Wednesday was really his birthday (Rush Limbaugh) announced support for repealing the 14th amendment to the Constitution (birthright citizenship), said Democrats were pushing “anti-God politics” (Conservative Moms for America leader Mary Baker) and my personal favorite, accused Mr Obama of having “re-enslaved (is that even a word?) America” (Black Conservative Coalition president Kevin Jackson). It’s gotten to the point that I wouldn’t surprised to hear/read one day that “Republican leaders joined Tea Party members and “Birthers” today to announce that until somebody high up in the Christian religion administration produces a certified copy of Jesus’ birth certificate, they will no longer recognize Christmas as his birthday.”

I think President Obama’s low approval ratings are due to the fact that so far, this has been a largely “jobless recovery” (any economist will tell you that job creation is always the last area to come back), he’s had to make some very tough decisions that have been almost universally panned and attacked by his opponents and the fact that while his campaign was a two-year long made-for television saga full of exciting moments and footage of huge rallies and events, the presidency is mostly a dull, tedious series of meetings and briefings, phone conversations and negotiations on policies and legislation that doesn’t capture the public’s imagination. That and the fact that for many people, he’s just too damn cool at doing his job.

On Tuesday, the LA Times reported that GOP gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman was spending more each day on her campaign by early summer than her Democratic rival, Jerry Brown, had spent all year. In the five-week period ending June 30, disclosure statements show that Whitman, the billionaire former CEO of eBay, spent $19.7 million in that short span, or $531,378 per day. Brown, who had no major opposition in the primary, has spent a total of $377,00 since the beginning of the year. Wouldn’t it be funny of Whitman, who has said she is willing to spent up to $150 million of her own money for both the primary and general elections, lost to Brown in November?

Can anyone tell me if Carly Fiorina is still running for the Senate against Barbara Boxer in California? I’m asking because ever since Boxer attacked her record as Hewlett Packard’s CEO – In April 2009, the business magazine web site Condé Nast Portfolio listed Fiorina as one of “The 20 Worst American CEOs of All Time”, characterizing the HP-Compaq merger as a widely regarded failure, and citing the halving of HP’s stock value under Fiorina’s tenure- Fiorina’s ads seem to have disappeared from the airwaves.

If Alan Keyes told me his name was Alan Keyes, I’d make him show me two forms of ID.

I’ve got to tell you, I’m really bummed out about the latest Bristol Plain/Levi Johnston break-up. I was really looking forward to the Alaskan version of the TV classic, “Joanie Loves Chachi”.

Is it just me or is Terry Crews becoming the new, younger, more muscular version of Samuel L. Jackson? I mean, he’s got two movies coming out this month – The Expendables and Lottery Ticket – he stars in Are We There Yet? on TBS and I believe he’s up for the lead in the proposed Al Sharpton biopic, It Must Be The Hair, which I hear Tyler Perry will write, produce, direct after his next Madea film, Madea Goes To Hell In A Bad Wig and Houseshoes wraps later this year.

How many chances at a hit movie is Jennifer Anniston does get before the powers-that-be realize that she can’t “open” or carry a film?

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t get Louis C.K.’s act and why he keeps getting shows. Of course, I feel the same about Jim Belushi too.

Now that Lindsey Lohan is in rehab, “Snooki” has moved to #1 on my list of “Quasi-Celebrity Most Likely To Die Before October 15th”.

I’m hooked on Master Chef and you should be too!

I’m happy that I went back to college in February; I just wish I’d done it a couple of years ago.

Speaking of college, how is it that BYU is the #1 sober college in America for the 13th year in a row? I know they ban alcohol, caffeine and pre-martial sex…never mind.

Only a drama magnet like Alex Rodriguez could evoke such controversy and contempt in becoming the seventh and youngest member of the 600 career home run club. Never has such an accomplishment seemed so hollow and unsatisfying.

If I were a baseball play by play announcer, I think my home run call would be, “It is high, it is far, it is gone.”

I want you to close your eyes for a moment and try to imagine the media’s outrage if Brett Favre was a black player doing the same thing. Scary, isn’t it? Every time I read or hear that Favre is the “key to the Vikings’ Super Bowl chances”, I can’t help but wonder if people realize that the last time a Favre-led team played in the Super Bowl was after the 1996 season (Peyton Manning was a junior at Tennessee).

Talk about tarnishing a legacy – the Celtics will be Shaquile O’Neal’s, the self-proclaimed “Most Dominant Ever”, SIXTH team and his third in three seasons.